For UCLA, It’s Nearly UCI-yi-yi

It was time for a money player, the ideal situation for a guy named Green.

A basket would mean further humiliation for UCLA on its home floor, another slip-up against a second-tier Southland foe.

UC Irvine sharpshooter Jerry Green, 27 points already tucked in his sock, dribbled down the clock, dodged defender Rico Hines by cutting around a pick and prepared to thrust the dagger.

But 6-foot-11 center Dan Gadzuric stepped forward, threw a hand in Green’s face and forced him to alter his running shot. The ball flew over the rim and careened off the bottom of the backboard as time expired, allowing UCLA to escape with a 75-74 victory Saturday.

“He has extremely long arms and I shifted my shot to avoid him,” Green said. “That’s why I missed.”

And with it, Irvine (5-4) missed a chance to join Cal State Northridge and Pepperdine as a team that recently left Pauley Pavilion with an upset. The Anteaters led by two at halftime and shot 75% in the second half, but 22 turnovers cut into their opportunities.

UCLA (5-2) shot well in the second half too--making 15 of 25, including eight three-pointers--and clamped down on defense in the last minute when Irvine had repeated scoring chances.

Gadzuric’s dunk after an offensive rebound gave UCLA the 75-74 advantage with a minute to play. Few in the crowd of 7,379 believed those would be the final points, not the way these teams were shooting.

But UCLA held. Hines knocked a pass out of bounds with 43 seconds left, and 13 seconds later Green called time when Jason Kapono and Billy Knight sandwiched him with four seconds on the shot clock.

Stanislav Zuzak, a 6-10 sophomore from the Czech Republic who scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half, launched a three-point attempt to beat the shot clock and Gadzuric knocked the rebound out of bounds, giving Irvine a last possession with 25.4 seconds to play.

“It didn’t seem like winning was likely to happen,” UCLA Coach Steve Lavin said.

Not with a player who averages 23.8 points handling the ball the rest of the way.

Not with the Bruins’ best defender, senior Matt Barnes, sidelined with a sprained ankle.

Not with Gadzuric turning in another in a season-long succession of dreadful performances. He had only seven points and three rebounds in 29 minutes. And in what is becoming an embarrassing ritual, he again clanked a dunk off the heel of the basket. He was outplayed by 7-0 Irvine sophomore Adam Parada, who had 12 points and nine rebounds.

But all was forgiven after Gadzuric scored the winning points and made the crucial stop.

“I wasn’t worried about fouling [Green],” he said. “I had to play him tight.”

UCLA stayed close in the second half because Kapono and Billy Knight matched Irvine shot for shot from long range.

Kapono was seven for seven after missing all four of his first-half shots. He scored 25 points and made five three-pointers, including two from NBA range in front of the UCLA bench.

“Coach Lavin told me at halftime to shoot,” he said. “I was looking to be a playmaker, but what I do best is score and I can’t forget that.”

Knight added 21 points and made four of six three-point attempts. He scored 16 in the second half.

Freshman Dijon Thompson also played well, making the most of his first start with 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes. He played point guard most of the game and had only two turnovers.

“Irvine was shooting so well we had to stay close by getting turnovers and making shots,” Thompson said.

UCLA scored the first eight points, but Irvine scored the next eight and the game was close thereafter. The first half was a defensive struggle, with 12 turnovers by Irvine, 10 by UCLA and both teams shooting less than 40%.

The shots fell in the second half and UCLA appeared to gain the upper hand when Parada and forward Jordan Harris picked up their fourth fouls.

However, Green and his Czech mate, Zuzak, couldn’t miss. Irvine led, 52-45, with 13 minutes left and UCLA didn’t catch up until Kapono’s three-pointer with five minutes to go after a traveling call against Green.

Green traveled again with two minutes left and Harris fouled out 15 seconds later. Knight made the free throws for a 73-72 UCLA lead. Parada answered with two free throws, then came Gadzuric’s dunk and Green’s miss.

The turnovers bothered Green more than the errant shot.

“If we’d have taken care of the ball better ... “ he said, his voice drifting off, something like the ball after it left his hand that final time.